'21/#55 Bye Bye

       It is that time of yearto say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. Like 2020, 2021 was challlenging because of the Covid virus and all that it brought with it, but we have made it to a new year. Hopefullyeveryone reading this is doing well and taking all the recommended precautions to stay healthy and make this coming year better than the last.

     We also hope that everyone had a good Christmas and got tospend rime with family and friends in a safe and healthy way. Again, covid is dictating how we celebrate with others, but if we try we can still get together with those close to us and also enjoy ourselves.  Well I am going to make this short and wish everyone a Happy New Year from our home in Zephyrhill because....

   Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#54 What Is Christmas?

    It is that time if year when everything is all about Christmas, but what is Christmas? It is a religous holiday that is most dear to those of the Christian faiths and to some that is enough. Others look at it as a time of good cheer and good will, while some see family gatherings as the high point of the season. Some see the Christmas tree, or Santa Claus, and some will focus on the gifts while others are not sure what it is at all. 

   In this day of internet socialization we have come across a number of people who aren't sure if it is still Christmas. When the kids are grown and the wonder about what Santa has brought is replaced by knowing that someone, whether a relative or friend, has given you a gift is it still Chistmas? When the kids are out of the house and Christmas day comes to two people in an empty nest, is it still Christmas? When seniors gather in community centers or nursing homes is it still Christmas? Yes it is!

   I won't try to tell anyone what Christmas should be. I am not smart enough to tell someone else what Christmas is to them. But I would like to quote someone much smarter than me. Dr. Seuss spoke to people of all ages and I think summed it up best when he had the Grinch say, "It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Maybe Christmas (he thought) doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more."

   To me "more" is the operative word. More can be anything to anyone and can only be found by looking into your own heart. Thanksgiving is past and we gave thanks for what we have in our life but Christmas can be so much more. There is that word again. Take the time to reflect on your life. Not just the present but the past and the future also. To me Christmas is a time to give thanks for what we had, for what we have, and also for what we may have in the future. It is a time when we can give not just gifts but ouselves to others. Time is such a precious gift and becomes more so when it is shared.

   So this Christmas don't fret about how things have changed because things will always change. Remember how things were and how they have changed and look forward to how things will most certainly change in the tomorrows that come.

   So please have a Merry Christmas however you celebrate it as we celebrate it in our home on wheels in Zephyrhills because.....

     Home is where we park it,

   Frank and Mary

'21/#53 The Heart Of Snowbird Season

   It is after Thanksgiving and December first has come and gone.  That means the third wave of snowbirds have arrived and with that all the snowbird season brings. Crowded roads, crowded stores, crowded retaurants, and everything else is ... well crowded. I am not knocking snowbirds, for two reasons. 

   First and foremost we are now snowbirds. Unlike other snowbirds who live up north and travel south for the winter we started in Florida and travel north for the summer and return in the winter. I refer to us as reverse snowbirds. 

   The second reason is the good things that snowbirds bring.  They stimulate the economy during the winter months and help pay for all the infrastructure and business with their spending and the taxes they pay with that spending. 

   When we lived in Florida year round we learned to adapt to the influx of snowbirds. We shopped late in the evening, ate out after the dinner hour,  and tried to stay off the roads during peak traffic hours.

   Speaking of traffic, people who visit the Sunshine State always complain about Florida drivers. My theory is that when tourists are here during the winter months a large percentage of the drivers are NOT Floridians. These drivers are from New York, Massachusetts, Canada, and other northern areas. Each area has it's own peculiarities when it come to driving and they are used to it at home. When each area brings their habits (good or bad) and stir it into the pot called Florida traffic we get a stew of unmixable ingredients which becomes labeled "Florida drivers".

   My point is that the roads will be crowded and filled with drivers not used to the habits of others and accidents will occur. If everyone will slow down for a bit and try to be courteous on the road maybe some of those accidents will be prevented and we can all enjoy the beautiful winter weather we came to Florida to enjoy.

   So I am heading outside to enjoy this beautiful Floridian winter weather here at our home in Zephyrhills because.....

   Home is where we park it,,

Frank and mary